1978 British Army Gazelle downing
British Army | commander1 =unknown | commander2 = Lieutenant Colonel Iain Douglas Corden-Lloyd MC OBE | strength1 = 1 active service unit | strength2 = 1 Army section 1 helicopter | casualties1 = unknown | casualties2 = 1 killed 2 wounded 1 helicopter lost | campaignbox = }} On 17 February 1978, a British Army Gazelle helicopter, serial number XX404, went down near Jonesborough, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, after being fired at by a Provisional IRA unit from the South Armagh Brigade. The IRA unit was involved in a gun battle with a Green Jackets' observation post deployed in the area, and the helicopter was sent in to support the ground troops. The helicopter crashed after the pilot lost control of the aircraft whilst evading ground fire. Lieutenant-Colonel Iain Douglas Corden-Lloyd, 2nd Battalion Green Jackets commanding officer, died in the crash. The incident was overshadowed by the La Mon restaurant bombing, which took place just hours later near Belfast. Background By early 1978, the British Army forces involved in Operation Banner had recently replaced their ageing Bell H-13 Sioux helicopters for the more versatile Aérospatiale Gazelles. The introduction of the new machines increased the area covered per recce sortie as well as the improved time spent in airborne missions.Gazelle – Thoroughbred racer Soldier's magazine, February 1978 In the same period, the Provisional IRA received the first consignment of M-60 machine guns from the Middle East, which were displayed by masked volunteers during a Bloody Sunday commemoration in Derry.O'Ballance, Edgard (1981). Terror in Ireland: the heritage of hate. Presidio Press, p. 227. ISBN 0-89141-100-3Faligot, Roger (1983). Britain's military strategy in Ireland: the Kitson experiment. Zed Press, p.155. ISBN 0-86232-047-X Airborne operations were crucial for the British presence along the border, especially in south County Armagh, where every single supply and soldier had to be ferried in and out of their bases by helicopter since 1975."Since the mid-1970s virtually all military movement has been by helicopter to avoid casualties from landmines planted under the roads; even the rubbish from the security forces bases is taken away by air." Harnden, p. 19 The Royal Green Jackets had been on tour in South Armagh since December 1977, and had already seen some action.Dewar p. 154 Just a few days after arrival, two mortar rounds hit the C Company base at Forkhill, injuring a number of soldiers. In the aftermath of the attack, two Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were wounded while recovering the lorry where the mortar tubes were mounted.Barzilay, p. 177 Two days later, a patrol near the border suffered a bomb and gun attack, leaving the commanding Sergeant with severe head wounds. The sergeant was picked up from the scene by helicopter. He was later invalided from the Army as result of his injuries. Shooting and crash On 17 January 1978, a Green Jackets observation post deployed around the village of Jonesborough began to take heavy fire from the "March Wall", which drew parallel to the border with the Republic to the east, along the Dromad woods. The soldiers returned fire, but the short distance to the border and the open ground prevented them from advancing. The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Iain Corden-Lloyd, along with Captain Schofield and Sergeant Ives flew from the battalion base at Bessbrook Mill to asssess the situation and provide information to the troops. While hovering over the scene of the engagement, the pilot lost control of the aircraft during a turn at high speed to avoid the ground fire. The Gazelle (serial number XX404) hit a wall and crashed on a field, some 2,000 meters from Jonesborough. Corden-Lloyd was killed and the other two passengers were wounded. The machine laid on its right side. The pilot remained trapped inside the wreckage, but he survived thanks to his helmet.UK Military Aircraft Losses – 1978 The IRA said that they had shot at the helicopter with an M-60 machine gun.Newsweek, Volume 91, Issues 1–9. Newsweek, 1978. The IRA unit vanished into the Dromad woods and inside the Republic's boundaries.Barzilay, p. 180 Some Gardaí witnessed the attack from the other side of the border."British Army to publish Gazelle crash findings." Flight International, 18 March 1978. Aftermath In spite of the death of one of the most senior British officers killed during the Troubles,Commanders who lead from the front The Telegraph, 3 July 2009 the gun-battle and Gazelle shootdown was displaced from the headlines by the shocking deaths of 12 civilians in the bombing of La Mon restaurant on the same day.Coogan, p. 292 Initially the British Army downplayed the IRA's claim as published by An Phoblacht—that the helicopter was shot down, on the basis that no hits were found on the wreckage, but finally they acknowledged that the IRA action had caused the crash. The death of Corden-Lloyd, a former SAS officer,Murray, Raymond (1990). The SAS in Ireland. Mercier Press, p. 196. ISBN 0-85342-938-3 was deeply regretted by the Army, who lost a promising young officer.Dewar, p. 156 He was awarded a posthumous mention in dispatches 'in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Northern Ireland'.London Gazette In 1973, Irish Republican sources had accused Corden-Lloyd and his subordinates of brutality against Irish Catholic civilians in Belfast during an earlier tour of the Green Jackets in 1971, at the time of Operation Demetrius.McGuffin, John (1973). Internment. Anvil Books Ltd, Chapter 11Van Der Bijl, Nick (2009). Operation Banner: The British Army in Northern Ireland 1969 to 2007. Pen & Sword Military, p. 82. ISBN 1-84415-956-6 See also * 1990 British Army Gazelle shootdown * Battle of Newry Road * 1994 British Army Lynx shootdown * Provisional IRA South Armagh Brigade * Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1970-1979) Notes References * Barzilay, David (1978). The British Army in Ulster, Volumen 3. Century Services Ltd. ISBN 0-903152-06-1 * Coogan, Tim Pat (1994). The IRA: A History. Robert Rinehart Publishers, ISBN 1-879373-99-8 * Dewar, Michael (1985). The British Army in Northern Ireland. Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-716-1 Category:1978 in Northern Ireland Category:Provisional Irish Republican Army actions Category:The Troubles in County Armagh Category:Military history of County Armagh Category:Conflicts in 1978 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Northern Ireland Category:Army Air Corps Category:British Army in Operation Banner Category:Aircraft shootdown incidents Category:Military actions and engagements during the Troubles (Northern Ireland)